Caskets normally employ a plurality of handles or handlebars located around the exterior periphery of the casket for handling of the casket. These handles or handlebars are secured to the casket by the use of fastening hardware, for example, escutcheon plates and nuts and bolts. Typically, holes pierce the body of the casket and the escutcheon plates to which the handlebars are attached are secured to the casket by passing bolts through holes in the escutcheon plates and through holes in the casket wall and securing those bolts on the interior of the caskets with nuts.
Caskets which are to be used in the cremation process must normally have all of the metal trim, for example, handlebars, escutcheon plates and associated fasteners and the like, removed before encountering the cremation process. Removal of such hardware is tedious and time consuming. If the hardware is not included on the casket in the first instance, such that the hardware is not required to be subsequently removed, difficulties are encountered in handling and transporting the casket.
Prior casket carriers have generally been of a stark, utilitarian appearance. The appearance of such carriers thus required removal of the casket from the carrier before display or presentation of the casket.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a handling and presentation apparatus for lifting, maneuvering and presenting a casket for display purposes, yet without requiring the use of fasteners, which pierce the casket, to secure the handling apparatus to the casket.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an attractive casket carrier on which the casket can remain for display and presentation and for which the utilitarian aspects and features are subdued.